Coat retainer



y 23, 1963 E. L. RICHARDSON 3,09

COAT RETAINER Filed Dec. 19, 1960 2 Sheets$heet 1 [/me/ A fi/cfia/"c/Jon INVENTOR.

sywagff July 23, 1963 E. L. RICHARDSON COAT RETAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1960 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,098,590 COAT RETAINER Elmer L. Richardson, 4216 Polk Ave., Houston, Tex. Filed Dec. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 76,631 2 Claims. (Cl. 223-71) This invention relates to new and usefiul improvements in a coat retainer.

It is an object of this invention to provide a coat retainer for holding the panels of a coat in closed position while not in use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a coat retainer for maintaining the panels of a coat in closed position having novel means for anchoring the button holes and buttons of a coat in vertical alignment.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a coat retainer having reinforcing means for providing a relatively rigid retainer.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a coat retainer having novel means for engaging the threads holding the buttons of the garment on the coat, so that disarrangement of the coat will permit the holder to yield without damage to the garment and will urge the garment back into the desired position.

In the garment cleaning and pressing industry, it is desirable, afiter a coat has been cleaned and pressed, to provide means for retaining its shape, particularly in view of the handling of many garments in a group, such as in sacking, storing and delivery. The retainers presently in use are usually provided with separate anchoring means for engagement with single breasted coats and double breasted coats, resulting in waste of material where single breasted coats are being processed, which form the vast majority of the volume of business. It is an object of this invention to provide a device for retaining coats in the desired shape that may be applied equally as well to double breasted as to single breasted coats.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a garment holder that will secure the garment by anchoring same at at least three points, providing a substantially triangular grip.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts more particularly defined in the following specifications and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a coat on a hanger, showing the coat retainer applied to the garment.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the coat retainer.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of a coat on a hanger showing another form of the coat retainer applied to the garment, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged front elevational view of the modified form of coat retainer.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a substantially rectangular strip of rigid material, such as cardboard, in which yieldable wires 2, or the like, may be embedded as reinforcing means. The marginal ends of the strip 1 are tapered at one side as 3, 3 in opposed relation and slits 4, 4 are cut longitudinally from each end of the strip forming the button hole tabs 5., 5. The ends of the strip 1 may be notched at the terminus of said slits 4, 4 to provide easy passageway into the button holes as 6, 6 of the garment.

In one end of the strip 1, which will be the lower end of the strip when applied to a garment, is cut the longitudinal lower slot 7, which extends from the end ice of the strip 1 approximately one third of the length of the strip. The upper slot '8 is formed in the strip 1 adjacent the opposite end of the strip and extends downwardly towards the lower slot 7, longitudinally of the strip and in vertical alignment with the slot 7.

When it is desired to retain a coat, the strip 1 is applied by mounting the slot 7 on to the thread of the lowermost button 9 sought to be engaged, and then passing the uppermost button 10 through the slot 8, then bending the upper tab 4 outwardly and passing same through the lowermost button hole 5 sought to be engaged. The tabs are not bent sufliciently to break the cardboard at the bend, so that when released, they assume their vertical position.

In the form shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the numeral 14 designates a strip of rigid material, such as cardboard, in which a plurality of parallel ventic-al button thread receiving slots 15, 15 are formed. In horizontal alignment with the upper ends of the slots 15, 15 is the outwardly extendable tab 16. The lower portion of the strip 14 is reduced in width and a vertical slot 13 is formed therein, forming the lower button hole tab 11.

The strip 14 is mounted on a garment, as 12, by passing the upper button located on one panel of the garment through one of the slots 15, according to the size of the garment, and the tab 16 is then inserted through the upper buttonhole in the other panel of the garment and the lower tab 11 extended through the next lower buttonhole of the garment, providing a three point anchor which, upon movement of the garment as in handling, will cause the strip 14 to roll on the button thread, without tearing the strip and without damaging the garment, but which will urge the garment back into the desired position, so that when the hanger is mounted on a carrying bar, as in a closet or vehicle, the garment will be urged back into the desired position.

While the foregoing are considered preferred forms of the invention, they are by way of illustration only, the broad principle of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a coat retainer for coats having first and second vertically aligned buttons and buttonholes, a strip of elongate material mountable on the front of a coat in longitudinal relation with said coat, one portion of said strip having a plurality of button receiving means and having a buttonhole receiving tab formed therein in horizontal alignment with said button receiving means for insertion through the first button hole of the coat, a tab in vertical alignment with said buttonhole receiving tab for insertion in the second button hole of the coat beneath the said first button hole.

2. In a coat retainer, a strip of rigid material to be mounted on a garment in longitudinal relation thereto, one portion of said strip having elongated button receiving means formed therein and the other portion of the strip being reduced in width, a buttonhole receiving tab in said strip in horizontal alignment with said button receiving means and another buttonhole receiving tab formed in the opposing end of said strip in longitudinal alignment with said first mentioned tab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,014,996 Bennett Jan. 16, 1912 1,179,337 Rolkerr Apr. 11, 1916 1,872,260 Elzey Aug. 16, 1932 2,004,098 Andrews June 11, 1935 2,642,210 Lang June 16, 1953 #940,646 Richa et al. June 14, 1960 

2. IN A COAT RETAINER, A STRIP OF RIGID MATERIAL TO BE MOUNTED ON A GARMENT IN LONGITUDINAL RELATION THERETO, ONE PORTION OF SAID STRIP HAVING ELONGATED BUTTON RECEIVING MEANS FORMED THEREIN AND THE OTHER PORTION OF THE STRIP BEING REDUCED IN WIDTH, A BUTTONHOLE RECEIVING TAB IN SAID STRIP IN HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID BUTTON RECEIVING MEANS AND ANOTHER BUTTONHOLE RECEIVING TAB FORMED IN THE OPPOSING END OF SAID STRIP IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID FIRST MENTIONED TAB. 